Blind



May 4, 1943 H. N. RENToN 2,318,525

BLIND Filed May 2e, 1942 2 sheets-sheet 1 A TTORNE YS.

May 4, 1943.

H. N. REN-ron! .2,318,525

BLIND Filed May 26, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR- lelzrylerzon,

A TTORNE YS.

Patented May 4, 1943 BLIND Henry N.' Renton, Wyncote, P a., assignor to The American Pulley Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May'26, 1942, Serial No. 444,552

14 Claims. (Cl. 16u-173) This invention relates to blinds; and has reference more especially to blinds suitable for the windows or doors of dwellings, office buildings and hospitals.

The chief aim of my invention is to make possible on the one hand the complete blocking of window or door openings against the passage of light through them without entirely obstructing ventilation, and, on the other hand, permit maximum light passage and ventilation when obscurity is not required or desired.

The above objects I attain in practice, as hereinafter more fully disclosed, through provision of a blind structure which is applicable to existent windows and which has a contractable sectional shade component, and a collapsible louver component with bars of angular cross section so spaced in mutually overlapping relation when the blind is drawn, as to prevent light passage through its interstices, the sectional shade component being contractable to the size of one of its sections, and the louver component being collapsible into the confines of the telescopic component when the latter is contracted.

In connection with a blind structure having the foregoing attributes, it is a further aim of my invention to provide simple, reliable and easily manipulated control means whereby the blind may be quickly raised and lowered.

Another aim of my invention is to secure the foregoing advantages in a blind structure useful for black-out purposes, which, as also more fully pointed out hereinafter, lends itself to convenient and economic manufacture in quantity for the most part from inexpensive cardboard or the like dyed or painted a dull dark color so as to be completely opaque and non-reflecting.

Other objects and attendant advantages will appear from the following detailed description of the attached drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view showing the inside elevation of a typical double sliding sash window with a blind which conveniently embodies my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical broken-out sectional view of the organization with the blind in closed or drawn position, taken as indicated by the angled y arrows II-lI in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the blind in raised position.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken as indicated by the angled arrows IV-IV in Fig. 1 and drawn to a larger scale.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail view in vertical section through the lower portion of the screen component of my improved blind.

Figs. 6 and 7 are fragmentary detail views respectively in plan and in cross section showing the initial step in the formation of the louver bars of the screen component of the blind; and

Fig. 8 is a cross section through the-finished louver bar which results from bending of the strip blank shown in Figs. 6 and 7 along its medial longitudinal.

With more detailed reference to these illustrations, the head or lintel, the sides or jambs, and the sill of the window frame are respectively designated by the numerals Ill, II and I2; while the sliding upper and lower sashes, which may be of usual or standard construction, are indicated at I3 and I4.

The blind with which the present invention is more especially concerned includes a supplemental frame having a head strip I5 and side strips I6 and I'I which may be of wood, and which may be secured by screws or nails (not shown) to the corresponding elements of the main window frame.

As further shown, the blind includes two main components respectively designated comprehensively by the numerals 20 and 2 I. The component 20, which I will for convenience of nomenclature refer to hereinafter as the shade component, comprises two sections 20a and 20h, which, when the blind is drawn as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, substantially cover the upper half of the window opening. The section 20a, is formed from relatively sti'i sheet material bent to invert U-shaped cross-sectional configuration with laterally spaced inner and outer sides 22 and 23 which are joined at the top by a narrow cross web 24,'

, said section having an area equal substantially to a quarter of that of the window opening. yAs further shown in Fig. 2, cross web 24 of the section 20a abuts the head strip I5 of the supplemental frame to which strip it is secured by tacks or the like. The section 20h of the shade component 20 is similarly formed from sheet material bent to invert U-shaped cross-sectional configuration with its inner and outer sides 26 and 21 joined at the top by a cross web 28 and so spaced that said section may telescope into the section 20a, as shown in Fig. 3.

'I'he screen component 2| of the blind, on the other hand, comprises a multiplicity of horizontally arranged louver bars 30 of acute angular cross'sectional conguration mutually overlapping as shown in Fig. 2, the angle and the normal vertical spacing of said bars being such as to extending beyond the tapes and engaging withinV the crotches of said bars to support the latter. 'Ihe lowermost louver bar 30 of the series has its anges secured to opposite sides of a Weight strip 35 by means of tacks 36. The movable or telescoping section h of the shade component 20 of the blind is supported by the tapes 3l in the same manner as the individual louver bars, that is to say, by means of pins which underlie the cross web 28 of said section, one ofisaid pins being shown at 3l in Figs. 2 and 3.

The manipulating means provided for rai-sing and lowering the blind includes a pair of laterally spaced iiexible cord strands 38 whereof the lower ends are tied to screw eyes 3S secured to the weight strip 35, see Fig. 5, said strands passing upward `freely through clearance apertures 40 in the vertices of the bars 30 somewhat outward of the slots 32 through which they suspension tapes 3! pass. From Figs. l and 2 it will be noted'that the strands 38 are trained over guide pins 4l and 42 extending crosswise of a longitudinal groove d3 in the head strip- 15 of the auxiliary frame whereby they are directed to one side of the Window for convenience of access for'manipulation, somewhat after the manner of an ordinary Venetian blind. Preferably as shown, a single length of cord is doubled upon itself to provide the strands 38. By Virtue of this construction, it will be apparent that downward pull upon the loop a connecting the strand .elements 38 willvbe attended by elevation of the movable portions of the blind. incident to which the screen component 2l will be first collapsed byvsuccessive elevation of the louver bars 30, whereupon the pack, collapsed, will be elevated until the uppermost louver bar 30" encounters the cross web 28 of the section 20h of the shade component 20 and elevates the latter into the xed section` 20a.. The final result of, this action will be as illustrated in Fig. 3 from whichit will be noted that the pack of louver bars 30 of the screen cornponent 2| is wholly accommodated within the hollow of section 20h of the shade componentZ, and the latter wholly accommodated within the hollow of the section Za .of the. upper component 2D. Due to their flexibility, the tapes 3| will fold as shown in Fig. 3 to allow the collapse of the blind in the manner explained. It will thus be seen that substantially three-quarters of the window area is available for light passage when the blind is raised, and that advantage can be taken of half the area of the window for ventilation-as with ordinary blinds. Y

For the purpose of confining the movable elements of the blindV to vertical travel andto prevent lateral displacement of the blind under wind pressure, I have shown at 45 and 46 guide tapes which are permanently secured at their upper and lower ends to the window framing by means of tacks or other suitable fastening devices.

For the purposes of a black-out blind. the parts 23a, 2Gb and 38 are made from opaque sheet material, and when the matter of cost is of importance, they are made from relatively inexpensive cardboard impregnated with a dark dye or paint which absorbs rather than reflects light. In the latter case, I form the louver bars 30 from flat cardboard strips such as shown at S in Figs. 6 and 7, and secure at intervals lengthwise of the strips, metallic staples di crosswise of the medial longitudinal a-a, and subsequently bend the strip and the staples along said medial longitudinal. In this way, the bars 3&3 are effectively reinforced against distortion in use. Also for the v purposes of black-out, I apply to the weight strip 35 a covering of textile fabric or the like 48 having sufficient looseness at the bottom, as shown in Fig. 5, to form a light-tight seal with the sil-l I2 of the window when the blind is drawn. For greater insurance against the passage of light at the top of the Window, a scaling strip 50 is provided, said strip being of angular cross-sectional conguration with its horizontal flange engaged between the top rail l@ of the main window frame and the top rail I of the supplemental frame, and with its vertical iiange lapping downward over the top edge of the upper section 20c of the shade component 2i). At the sides of the window light sealing is insured by use of channel section strips 5! 'and 52 which embrace the side bars I6 and l1 of the supplemental frame, and of which the flanges extend inwardly of the window to overlap the side edges of the sections 20a, 20h of the shade component 2l) as well as the ends of all the louver bars 30 of the screen component 2l. The light sealing strips 59, 5I and 52 are preferably all made from the same material as that used for the parts 20d, 26h and 39..

Blinds constructed in accordance with my invention are highly advantageous in connection with hospitals and dwellings for patients and/0r night Workers requiring sleep during the day.

It is of course to be understood that window blinds embodying certain features of my invention can be wholly constructed with telescoping sections such asA those featured for the upper part of the window herein illustrated, or they can be wholly constructed with louver bars arranged after the manne-r shown for the lower part of the illustrated screen. Accordingly certain of the appended claims have been directed to suchalternative constructions, per se.

Having thus described m-y invention, I claim:

l. A blindk for windows and the like including a shade component for shielding a portion of the window area; an associated screen component for shielding another portion of the window area capable of being collapsed into coincidence with the area of said shade component; and means for controlling said collapsible screen component.

2. A blind according to claim 1, in which the shade component is fixed in relation to the window.

3. A blind according to claim l, in which the screen component comprises a plurality of anglesection louver bars which are normally in spaced mutually overlapping relation.

4. A black-out blind according to claim l, in

passage but permit ventilation through the intervening interval.

5. A blind for Windows and the like including a shade component for shielding a portion of the window area, having plural sections of sheet material which are movable into coinciding relation, one behind another; an associated screen component for normally shielding another portion of the window area, capable of being collapsed and accommodated behind the sheet sections of said shade component when said sections are moved into coincidence; and means for controlling the two components.

6. A blind according to claim 5, in which one of the sections of the shade component is fixed in relation to the window.

7. A blind for windows and the like including a shade component with laterally spaced side sheets for shielding a portion of the window area; an associated screen component for shielding another portion of the window area, capable of being collapsed for accommodation in the interval between the spaced sheets of said shade component; and means for controlling the collapsible component.

8. A blind according to claim '7, in which the side sheets of the shade component are secured in f'lXed relation to the window.

9. A blind for windows and the like including a shade component for shielding a portion of the window area, said component comprising hollow sections formed from sheet material capable of being telescoped one into another; an associated screen component for shielding another portion of the Window area, capable of being collapsed for accommodation within the inner section of said shade component when said sections are telescoped; and means for controlling said shade and screen components.

l0. A blind according to claim 9, in which the screen component comprises a plurality of anglesection louver bars which are normally in spaced mutually overlapping relation.

ll. A louver bar for Window blinds and the like, fashioned from cardboard or similar sheet material to angular cross-sectional coniiguration, and reinforced at intervals along its length by angularly bent metallic staples secured crosswise of the vertex of the bar with their ends penetrating and clinched over upon the respective flanges of said bar.

12. A blind for windows and the like including a plurality of horizontally arranged anglesection louver bars; suspension means by which said bars are supported in spaced mutually overlapping relation, comprising a plurality of laterally spaced flexible tapes which pass through clearance slots in the vertices of the louver bars, and pins engaged horizontally in the tapes and having their ends within the crotches of said bars; and control means for collapsing the blind comprising flexible strands which are connected to the loWerrnost bar of the blind, and guide means at the top of the window over which the control strands pass to one side of the window for convenience of manipulation.

13. A blind for Windows or the like including a plurality of horizontally arranged angle-section louver bars; a plurality of laterally spaced flexible strand suspension elements by which said bars are supported in spaced mutually overlapping relation; control means whereby the blind can be vertically collapsed; and pairs of laterally spaced front and rear guide strips with their ends attached respectively to the head and sill of the Window frame for confining the louver bars to definite vertical travel.

14. A bund for Windows and the iike including a plurality of mutually overlapping horizontally arranged vertically spaced angle-section louver bars constructed from dark, non-reflecting sheet material, the angle of the bars and the extent of their overlap being such as to preclude light passage but to allow ventilation through the intervals between contiguous bars; a plurality of laterally spaced flexible strand suspension elements by which the bars are supported; control means whereby the blind can be upwardly collapsed; a weight attached to the lowermostl bar and provided with a pliable covering toseal light-tight with the sill of the Window When the blind is down; andsealing strips of dark, nonreflecting sheet material attached to the head and sides of the window frame respectively overlap the uppermost bar and the ends of all the bars.

HENRY N. RENTON. 

